Traveling rural mail-box.



O. W. SISSOM.

TRAVELING RURAL MAIL BOX.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 4, 1914.

Patented Mar. 16, 1915.

A TTOR/VE Y WITNESSES mfi THE NORRIS PETERS c0. PHOTU-LITHO.. \vAsHINGmN. D. c

CLYDE WASHINGTON SISSOM, 0F WILSON COUNTY, KANSAS.

TRAVELING RURAL MAIL-BOX.

Application filed March 4, 1914.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLYDE W. SIssoM, a citizen of the United States, residing in Nilson county, in the State of Kansas, have invented a new and useful Traveling Rural Mail-Box, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a portable or traveling rural mail-box, and the object in view is to devise a simple and inexpensive rural mail-box construction and arrangement whereby the box may be normally located in the usual position along the route of the rural mail-carrier, and also be provided with means for readily causing the box to travel by gravity to another point where the operator may desire to extract the mail contained in the box. To this end, a cable is provided for forming a trackway for the mail-box, together with means for changing the angle of the cable at will for directing the travel of the box toward one end or the other. Preferably, the apparatus is constructed so as to remain normallyin one position, with the mail-box in mail-receiving position, and provision is made for reversing the angle of the cable to permit the mail box to glide along it into mail-delivering position, whereupon, on release of the reversing means, the parts will be restored automatically to original position.

Another object is to provide a construction in which the cable is always maintained taut regardless of the position of the other parts of the apparatus.

With these objects in View, the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing showing one form of construction embodying the proposed improvements.

In the drawing,Figure 1 is an elevational view illustrating a rural mail-box carrying device embodying the present invention, the dotted lines representing an altered position of the parts with the mail-box in delivering position; Fig. 2 is a plan View of the apparatus; and Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the receiving end of the apparatus.

Referring to the drawing, a post 2 is shown erected adjacent the house or delivery end of the apparatus, and held in fixed position, as by means of a stay 3. Mounted slidingly upon this post is a bracket or cablesupporting member 1, carrying a pulley or sheave 6 over which is passed a cable 8. One end of the cable 8 (which will be of any Specification of Letters Patent.

Fat-ranted Mar. 16, 1915. SeriaI No. 822,497.

required length) is secured to a sliding bracket or cable-supporting member 10 carried by the upper portion of a post 12, erected in fixed position at the road or recelving end of the apparatus along the route of the rural mail-carrier. This second post 1s preferably forked at its lower end portion (see Fig. 3) for conveniently exposing the opening 11 of the mail-box 16 for the insertion of mail, and at the same time providing arms 18 for supporting a buffer spring 19 for yieldingly limiting the downward movement of the slide member 10. The box 16 1s provided with hanger arms 20 of unequal length and carrying pulleys or sheaves 22 whereby the box is suspended from the cable and may travel along the same from post to post, according to the angle of incllnation of said cable. The unequal length of the hanger arms 20 enables the box to be supported in proper horizontal position when at he post 12. The free end of the cable 8 is provided with a weight 2-2 sufliciently heavy to counterbalance the weight of the box 16 and any ordinary contents thereof, and thereby maintain the cable taut at all times.

The post 12 has journaled in the upper end thereof a pulley 26, and the post 12 is provided with a similar pulley 28, for the purpose of accommodating a pull cable 30 which is secured at its opposite ends to the sliding cable-supporting members 1 and 10 respectively. The cable 30 is of such a length as to just connect the two members a and 10 when one of the latter is in lowered position and the other is in raised position; and furthermore, the weight of the member 10 is sufficient to more than counterbalance the weight of the member 4: and the counterweight 24, for the purpose of maintaining the parts normally in the position illustrated by the full lines in Fig. 1, with the mail-box-at the receiving end of the cable 8. In this normal position, the slide member 1 is raised, and a pull cord 32 is attached thereto and provided with a handle 34:: for convenient manual operation when it is desired to lower said member the latter being also fitted with a handle 36 for further convenience in maniplation and holding the parts in the position illustrated by the dot-ted lines in Fig. 1.

From the above-described construction it will be apparent that an apparatus is provided whereby a person at the delivery end may cause the mail-box to travel to the house by merely operating the cord32 and thereby elevating the slide member 10 and' lowering the slide member l, thus causing the descending by gravity to the post 2. The

cable 8 is automatically kept taut at all times, whatever the positions of the membersl and 10, by the action of the weight 241.

The unequal length of the hanger arms 20 not only serves to maintain the box 16 always horizontal at the post 12 (its usual position), but also causes the box to be tilted out of horizontal position when traveling in'thie direction of the post 2 and thereby prevents the box from striking any of the parts in the latter vicinity, while at the same time facilitating the discharge of the contents of the box through its discharge end when delivering mail. The slide members 4 andlO may be provided with the buifer springs 38 and 40, respectively, to alfor cushioning stops for engagement with the sheaves 22 as the box comes to rest in either receiving or delivering position. As soon as the mail is taken from the box, the mere release of the pull cord, or the handle 36, permits the parts to be restored automatically to original positionby means of the weight of the slide member 10 and the action'of gravity upon the box after the angle of inclination of the cable 8 has been reversed.

lVhile the foregoing represents what is now conceived'to be the preferred form of embodiment of the invention, the right is reserved to all such changes and modifications in form as may fairly fall within the scope of the appended'claims.

Claims:

1. In an apparatus of the character de scribed, the combination of an inclined cable, means for reversing the slope of said cable, abox movable along said cable from receiving position at one end of the cable to discharge position at the opposite end' of the cable, and means for suspending said box from the cable, said means being constructed and arranged to support the box in horizontal receiving position and to tilt the box on moving into delivery position after reversalof the slope of said cable.

2. In a rural mail-box apparatus, the combination of an inclined cable, means for reversing the slope of said cable, and a mailbox provided with hanger arms securedrigidly-to-the box and-suspending the latter-for movement along the cable, said arms being of unequal length, whereby said boxis supported in horizontal receiving position at one end of the cable and is tilted out of horizontal on moving into delivery position after reversal of the slope of the cable.

3. In a rural mail-box apparatus, the combination of an inclined cable forming a track'way, a mailbox movable along said cable, oppositely and vertically movable supporting members for the ends of said cable, one of said supporting members being provided with a sheave for accommodating the adjacent end of the cable, connections between said supporting members whereby one of them may be raised andthe'other lowered for reversing the angleof incline of the trackway and permitting the box to move by gravity along said cable, and a counterweight on the end of said cable pass ing'over said sheave for maintaining said cable taut for all positions of said support ing members.

4C. In a rural mail-box apparatus, the combination of an inclined cable, a mail-box provided with supporting sheaves movable along said cable, vertically movable supporting members for the ends of said-cable, one of said supporting members being provided with a sheave for accommodatingthe adjacent end of the cable, connections between said supporting members whereby one of them may be raised and the other'lowered for reversing'the slope of the cable and permitting the box to move by gravity along the cable, a counterweight on the end of sand cable passing over said last-mentioned sheave for malntaining said cable taut, and

buffers carried by said supportingfmembers U each comprising a curved spring secured at one end to one of the supporting members and its free end being forked and embracing opposite sides of the cable, one of said springs overlying said 'last mentioned sheave and extending in front of the same'in position to engage one of said supporting sheaves.

5. Inarural mail-box apparatus, the combination of a pair ofspaced vertical posts, one of said posts having a forked lower por tion, a pair of cable. supporting members of unequal weight'mounted slidingly on the upper ends ofsaid'p'ost's, the lower portion of the forked post forming a shoulder limite ing. the downward movement of the heavier" of said supporting members, a cable connecting saidsupporting members and forminga trackway, means forholding'said supporting members normally at different elevations and maintaining said trackway in" inclined position, a mailbox provided with hangers for suspending it from said trackway and normally in position opposite the space within the lower portion of said position ofsaid supporting members and thereby reversing theslope of'the cable and allowing the box to move by gravity to the other end thereof. i p

6. In a ruralmail-box apparatus, the combination of a pairof spaced'vertical posts,

forked post, and means for shifting the a pair of cable supporting members of unequal weight mounted slidingly on the upper ends of said posts, a cable connecting said supporting members and forming a trackway between the posts, means acting to hold said supporting members normally at different elevations and maintaining said trackway in inclined position, one of said posts having a forked lower portion forming a shoulder limiting the downward movement of the heavier of said supporting members, a spring buffer interposed between said shoulder and said heavier supporting memher to form a yielding stop for said downward movement, a mail-box provided with hangers for suspending it from said trackway and normally in position opposite the space within said forked portion, and means for shifting the position of said supporting members and thereby reversing the slope of the cable.

In testimony whereof, I ahiX my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

CLYDE WASHINGTON SISSOM.

Witnesses:

FRANK EARLY, D. W. PARKER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, .D. 0. 

